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“And what would you need to speak to us about?” Will walked across the room and took the seat next to Elizabeth.
She glanced over at him and smiled again. A part of her wanted to tell him that he really should change out of his riding clothes, but watching his muscular thighs in his tight, buff breeches was quite enjoyable.
“Your Grace, if I may?” Caroline started hesitantly.
“Yes?”
“I noticed last night at the ball a certain closeness between Your Grace and Lady Elizabeth.” Caroline fidgeted in her seat.
“Oh?” Will asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
“It must stop, Your Grace,” she whispered.
“What Lady Elizabeth and I do is none of your concern,” Will replied in a harsh tone.
“The gossips, Your Grace,” Caroline tried again. “With her aunt gone, it is slightly improper for her to even be here.”
“Hang the gossips,” Will said.
“There is something else,” Caroline mentioned and then looked away from them.
“And what would that be?” Will asked with sarcasm lining his voice.
Elizabeth was so thankful that Will had arrived when he had. As they talked, her fingers clenched and unclenched the muslin of her dress. She could never face them with as much ease as Will did.
Caroline leaned in closer. “Your Grace, surely you must know about her father?”
“What about her father, Caroline?”
“The former duke was not her father,” Caroline whispered so the servants could not hear.
“She was born in a legally bound marriage. The duke never publicly denied her,” Will commented. “To the world, she will always be the duke’s daughter.”
“I understand that, but it is not what I meant.”
“Then tell us what you mean, Caroline.” Will crossed his arms over his chest.
Caroline shook her head. “Your father was the duchess’s lover. He fathered Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth gripped the arms of her chair as the world around her spun. “No,” she finally whispered. “That is not true.”
“We didn’t come to make trouble, only to warn you both that you mustn’t get too close,” Caroline said.
“No,” Elizabeth said again. It couldn’t be true. Will could not be her brother. Her stomach started to roil with nausea. She raced from the room before she embarrassed herself.
Will watched Caroline’s eyes for any sign of untruth from her. “If you are lying about this, Caroline. I will—”
“I swear.”
“How would you know about this?” Will asked.
Caroline took a deep breath. “My father was a very good friend of the late duke’s. One night when the duke was good and foxed, he admitted the affair to my father. When I married into the family, my father wanted me to know. He thought I shouldn’t treat Elizabeth kindly because of it. But I always told him, it wasn’t her fault.”
“So why now? You have had this knowledge for several years. Why did you think it was so important to tell her now?”
She glanced over at her husband who nodded at her. “I was in the hall last night when I heard the door to your study unlock. I saw you leave and then went in to extinguish the candle and found Elizabeth.”
“Nothing happened in there last night,” Will said. Only later, when it was nearly dawn.
